[IC] Mey Hem: Submitted For Your Disapproval (cont.)

[The Doctor Who]

Beathra raised his eyebrows, saying, "You don't know why we were invited? That seems a shocking oversight. When one receives an invitation from an organization with such a reputation as yours, it hardly stands reason to question their motivation." Here he turned to Omega as if to appeal for support. "Indeed, does it not stand to reason that, if the YPNR were to invite a group such as ours here, that they must have a very good reason to do so?"

Pulling the long pipe from his robes, Beathra began filling it, shaking his head in disbelief. "Yet here we are, guests in their facility and they do not even know why they invited us!"

Spoiler

Presence Check to Fluster Correspondent 251 into dropping the question:
1d20+10=7+10
Total:17

 

[GodSentinelOmega]

The Omega Knight nodded along with Beathras words.

Spoiler

Predence check to also charm the Correspondent like Beathra.
1d20=14
14+7=21
Total:21

Nice!

”Agreed. We would not presume to unjustly travel to such a place as this. it does seem strange and unfortunate that you do not know why we are here.”

 

[Zamuel]

Correspondent 251 scowled and said, "Do not attempt to feign ignorance. I know how you are here: you assisted some of our citizens on the ground and were offered an invitation by those citizens. I do not know why all of you and your animal are here. Since all of you assisted in apprehending the dangerous ground criminal who managed to make his way up here, I am asking why you're here as you've earned that courtesy. But, I have too much work to do to deal with games."

 

[CoffeeHorse]

Night Cap's cheeks are inflating once again. This place is giving them such exercise.

He will behave himself, for now.

But the souvenir he'll be taking home just got bigger.

 

[Destron D-69]

"I also tire of the game of words, if there is an answer you require so that we can end this pointless prattle - speak it so that we may repeat it and be done." Destron's frustrations seem to be taking their toll on her.

 

[Patch]

Patch spoke up. "I was told we were to be processed for citizenship. Would that be pending our reasons for being here, or are you planning to do that regardless?"

 

[Zamuel]

Correspondent 251 replied, "Pending the process here. YPNR generally does not have visitors. Only two of you are citizens so it needs to be determined how long you will stay."

 

[Patch]

"Two of us are...?"

 

[GodSentinelOmega]

“We were simply in the right place at the right time to assist your people in what I can only describe as an evacuation,” Kage said in a thoughtful tone. Then he tilted his head at 251s ‘visitors’ comment.

”Nobody comes here, yet the amount of people leaving ‘the Ground’ to return here was a pretty significant number. The lack of any visitors to this place does make some sense since, to the vast majority on ‘the Ground’, your Republica is barely more than a myth. Not some real that anybody can find.

That, combined with the fact that, when we took the last of your hover transport vehicles to journey here, the building from which we departed… exploded. It does beg the question of.

If you have completely separated yourselves from the rest of the world, what is it the drives this need for complete isolation? And why then are their so many YPNR ‘citizens’ sent down to the Ground 9n complete anonymity…” Kages words trailed off at 251s reply to Patch.

“Who among our number, are ‘Citizens’ of this place?”

Unseen, Kage couldn’t help a grimace twisting his face.

 

[The Doctor Who]

Beathra glanced over at Kage with a humorous grin, saying, "Do you suppose I'm one?"

With a sigh, he then said, "Honestly, at this point, I'm with those who weary of the eggshells we tread on here. Let us place our cards upon the table."

Fixing the correspondent in the eye, he said, "We came here to find missing children, abducted from the surface, we believe that they were brought here. We have seen ample evidence that there is a faction of individuals here who are committing heinous crimes against man and nature on the surface - in the name of the YPNR. We have come to investigate."

Eyeing the YPNR personnel around them, Beathra searched out their reactions, standing at the ready, staff in one hand, as yet unlit pipe in the other.

 

[GodSentinelOmega]

Under his Cowl, Kage felt a faint smile and, strangely, the easing of tension in his as Beathra laid bare their targets. Nodding to his friend, the Omega Knight slightly shifted position.

”Indeed. The trail we followed is irrefutable. Somebody within this place believes their ends justify any means.“

And now they waited to see which way Correspondent 251 would go. Was she one of the masterminds. Cold and calculating, unflinching in her cause? Or was she herself being used as a liaison who only knew the truths what she was told.

 

[Zamuel]

Correspondent 251 replied to Patch, "Quite obviously the first citizen is Sue'zhan. The second would would be Easter Bunny. Though his origins would be more akin to a worker, his existence helped YPNR's goals. By unknown means, Holiday Island was destroyed. It was deemed that any who worked there and is still alive would be granted citizenship if they arrived here. He is alive and he is here so the requirements were fulfilled."

Shifting her attention to the Omega Knight, Correspondent 251 said, "The world on the ground is inherently messy and dangerous. Ignorance and violence are the laws of the land. Up here with the power of math and science, people are safe, healthy, and comfortable. Violence here only comes from visitors. Otherwise the closest to that would be guard training and any martial arts the Chief Librarian practices. I do not get why the Chief Librarian does it but it has caused no problems and I have the utmost respect for her judgement. YPNR has order.

But in that, we see the ground has chaos. Most of that is because of whatever calamity befell the world. The nature of that is unknown but the prevailing theory is that it was magical. If so, the only correct course of action is to seek out the elimination of magic. There are times it may need to be studied but that is only to further the final goal. Some have volunteered and others have required other means but if the law of the land on the ground is violence, then violence shall sometimes be used. However, we have deemed that the size of our ground operations is no longer needed so people were recalled."

Beathra saw that the only other person other then them was Correspondent 251 herself. That, and the unflinching droids that surrounded the group.

 

[Patch]

The elimination of magic. Those words rang in her ears as Patch was struck speechless. It was something she'd known all along, yet it meant a great deal to have Correspondent 251 confirm it. As Beathra had put it, the cards had well and truly been placed on the table.

She simply could not think of how to respond. Up until this point, thinking about the cruelties of YPNR towards magic users like herself had filled her with equal parts fear and rage. But she couldn't tap into those emotions now. The damage they had done to her was still too raw. So, for the moment, she clutched the book she held tightly and tried to feel with her magic the secrets it held.

Spoiler

Not sure if what I'm doing is for narrative purposes or actual gameplay just yet, but here's an Arcana check for the heck of it.
Arcana check:
Mon Jan 09 2023 17:32:09 GMT-0500 (Eastern Standard Time)
Rolling line 1 : 1d20 + 15 to total : 9, + 15, TOTAL: 24

 

[The Doctor Who]

Beathra stared for a moment, then began to laugh. He was, for a moment, beside himself with mirth, but quickly regained his composure.

"Eliminate magic?" He said with a shake of his head. "You may as well eliminate water. It is equally impossible. Least of all by taking away the fish."

"Even if you were to capture or kill every mage in the world, there would still be countless gods and spirits, all eager to feed on the energy that the mages once regulated. It took but a fraction of Moscareina's influence to disrupt your order during the contest and I know there are devine eyes watching your citadel with interest."

With a snap of his fingers, the pipe lit and he took a long pull.

"I suppose that begs the question: What next?"

 

[GodSentinelOmega]

“That’s it?

That’s your grand theory and purpose. You sit up here in your ivory towers, looking down on the primtive, ignorant, chaotic people of the ground. Your worship the cold indifference of numbers and logic, content in the absolute certainty of your moral righteousness?”

A mirthless chuckle escaping the Knight.

”I’m disappointing in you and your ‘Utopia’ 251. I thought you were just cruel and arrogant.

Not delusional

Your little floating Kingdom is not ‘Safe’. It is sterile, lifeless. A controlled bubble, filled with the Liquid Smile of false perfection.

So then. Magic killed the world. Onky magic? Just magic and those who wield it?

What about the broken weapons strewn across the land? What about the machine filled old cities? What about the mercenaries?

Magic didn’t kill the world.

People did.

Arrogant people. Power hungry people. Men and women full of the own ego and conviction. So convinced thst They were right and everybody else is wrong, that they inspired others to go out and die for them. To kill for them. To suffer, for them.

Just like you. The one who gives the orders, while washing her hands of blood, because any deaths are for ‘The Greater Good!’ Like Cupid Thunder. Your crackpot mad dog. He botched Holiday Island, then You put him on hunting duty for magic users and promise him entry into your paradise? You are crazy. He used thugs, slave traders and murderers.

‘But of course, that doesn’t bother you, does it? Families being hunted and torn apart is just… Necessary.“

Nodding to Beathra, the Knight continued.

”Killing everybody who can use magic will solve nothing. Except to fill the world with more fear, hatred and despair. Then your great haven will be torn asunder like paper in a storm, when the monsters you cannot possibly fathom, come to the World which you will have left defenseless to them.

You are A fool.”

 

[Zamuel]

Patch felt that the book, on it's own, was just a math book. However, with the importance of it, perhaps she could tap into it's worth and construct magic from that.

But before that could be attempted, Correspondent 251 commented, "I clearly overestimated all of you if you think our ultimate goal ended with only mages. However, I see from this conversation that most of you would not be suitable for citizenship. You think too small.

Sue'zhan, you are to be escorted to the Chief Apothecary. Easter Bunny, you have the option of standing aside. The rest of you would be escorted to the bay to go home but as you know too much, despite how little you know, you can't be allowed to leave."

 

[GodSentinelOmega]

“The world is not yours to judge and reshape. Not the place, not the people. Genetic engineering. A superior breed of people.

Sue’zhan is not yours, EB is not yours. And you don’t get to detain us because of your delusions.”

Omega simply drew Retribution.

 

[CoffeeHorse]

Night Cap lowers his head a little and starts scratching the floor like a bull getting ready to charge.

 

[MEDdMI]

"Citizen? Me? I helped you?" EB let out a quick bitter laugh. "Do you espect me to be grateful for being treated like a toy in that place?" His voice trembled as leftover water from the storm trailed down his face. "Why don't I show you how grateful I am?" His eyes reflected the light unnaturally.

 

[Zamuel]

As EB was speaking, the two droids closest to the Omega Knight reacted. The one closest to his sword hand shot out a net. The one closest to his off hand punched him with titanic force.

Correspondent 251 shook her head, turned around, and started to walk off, "*sigh* I've got too much work to do to put up with this."

Spoiler

Kage suffers Weakness 20 from Droid 6.
Droid 7 deals 49 damage to Kage. (Single, Attack)

Obviously, combat has started. The droids reacted to Kage withdrawing his sword. As stated previously, there are seven droids.